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The Confucius Institute Hosts Fourth Bi-Annual Duanwei Test

The group of students poses together with the judges and Confucius Institute employees after the duanwei test. The students are dressed in white martial arts robes and hold their certificates from passing the test.

 

By Rachel Berry

Students gathered in Phillips Hall for what they had been preparing for the whole semester: their duanwei test. These students were a part of the Lion Dance club of the Confucius Institute and a 2-credit-hour tai chi course in the Kinesiology Department at Miami. Today they would take the test to measure all of their preparation and the skills they had learned the past semester to determine if they will move up a level in the martial art.

two students perform tai chi for the judges. They stand with their hands in front of them as they do their routine. When the students arrived, they began to stretch and practice their tai chi moves. They were then called up in pairs to perform a routine in front of a panel of judges. After all of the students had a chance to show off their skills, the judges announced that everyone had passed, and the students were awarded certificates.

Ruchelle Dunwoody, director of intramural sports, and Helaine Alessio, chair of the Kinesiology Department both attended the duanwei test and presented the students with their certificates.

Over 40 students participated in the test, and their hard work throughout the semester paid off as they moved up to the next level in tai chi.

This year’s Duanwei test was judged by Wenxiang Bai, Sen Gao, and Chen Zhang. Bai is a famous Chinese senior martial arts instructor and former coach of the Chinese National Wushu Team and the Shanxi Provincial Wushu Routine Team. Gao is an international martial art master and world champion, and Zhang is an international visiting scholar from East China Normal University.

Following the test, the judges performed their own tai chi routine and showcased their expertise with the Chinese form of martial arts.

One of the judges performs tai chi for the audience after the students take their test. He is dressed in a green robe as he lunges forward in a tai chi move.

“The students' efforts over the course of the semester were demonstrated in the duanwei test,” Zhang said. “Everyone passed the exam successfully. Through this exam, the students watched the real martial arts masters perform, which broadened the students' horizons and added a perfect ending to the tai chi course.”

The Confucius Institute will offer beginning tai chi courses again next semester through the Kinesiology Department. The duanwei test is held at Miami University every semester.